SOR Fall Play: The Crucible

Many congratulations to the School of Rhetoric cast and crew of "The Crucible" on their sold out run.

Many congratulations to the School of Rhetoric cast and crew of "The Crucible" on their sold out run!

The Crucible, written by Arthur Miller in 1953, depicts the story of John Proctor, Elizabeth Proctor, and Abigail Williams during the time of the infamous witch hunts. Based on the real life event of the Salem Witch Trials, the play partially fictionalizes the details and takes the themes of hysteria, reputation, misogyny, guilt, deception, power, and authority and weaves them into an emotional piece of theatre that is regarded as a central work in the canon of American drama.

The true, good, and beautiful was brought out in the grappling and in the guidance our students received in collective rehearsal discussion and in times of prayer over the realities of sin and of the power struggle we sense each and every day. The following is a Christian worldview response located in the Playbill from one of our student actresses, Emma Aldridge, playing Abigail Williams:

When I first heard we might be doing The Crucible, I’ll admit I was concerned about the subject matter. Christians during the Salem Witch Trials were condemning, hypocritical, and elevated themselves as they handed out judgement in God’s stead, which is not an easy pill to swallow even hundreds of years later. However, I think that the Christian hypocrisy highlighted in The Crucible isn’t something that's meant to be offensive. In 1 Corinthians verses 28-29, it says, "Everyone ought to examine themselves before they eat of the bread and drink from the cup. For those who eat and drink without discerning the body of Christ, eat and drink judgment on themselves,” and a poignant way to dissect our faults is theatre. To me, the Regents production of The Crucible highlights the sin that we all wrestle with, and offers Christlike foils that show how Christians can act when their focus is on God. I hope our show fairly presents the daily Christian struggle with hypocrisy and self-righteousness, and encourages all of us to be the Rebecca Nurses’ and Goody Proctors’ in a world of Danforths’ and Abigail Williams’.